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Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts
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- Context (PIB): Explainer on Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA).
- ABHA is an integral component of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which is India’s flagship national health protection scheme.
Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA)
- Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is an account/ number used to link all a person’s health records.
- Any individual can enroll in Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to generate a Health ID or ABHA, free of cost.
- An ABHA user has the following identifiers and user app to access the benefits under ABDM:
- ABHA number: Unique Health Identifier as a random 14-digit number:
- ABHA address: It is an easy-to-remember username that enables a user to access their health records digitally and share their records with various healthcare providers. An ABHA address may look like ‘name@abdm’.
- ABHA mobile application: It offers a convenient solution for individuals to access and share their health records digitally effortlessly.
Features
- Cashless Transactions for eligible beneficiaries seeking treatment at empanelled healthcare facilities. This reduces the financial burden on beneficiaries during medical emergencies.
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) facilitate the storage and retrieval of patient information. This helps maintain medical histories and streamline healthcare delivery.
- Portable across various healthcare providers empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, allowing beneficiaries to access services regardless of their location.
- Real-time Monitoring mechanisms to track fund utilisation and ensure that resources are allocated efficiently. This helps prevent misuse and optimise the distribution of healthcare resources.
- Transparency and Accountability by promoting digital transactions and maintaining electronic records. This reduces the scope for corruption.
Components
- Beneficiary Identification: Each beneficiary is assigned a unique health identification number (UHID) to facilitate tracking and management.
- Funds Management: ABHA manages the allocation and disbursement of funds for healthcare services availed by beneficiaries.
- Claim Settlement: ABHA processes and settles claims submitted by healthcare providers for services rendered to beneficiaries by verifying the authenticity of claims and disbursing payments accordingly.
- Audit and Oversight: ABHA incorporates audit and oversight mechanisms to monitor the utilisation of funds and detect any irregularities or discrepancies.
Benefits
- Financial protection for vulnerable sections of society by covering the costs of healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. This reduces out-of-pocket expenses and enhances access to quality healthcare.
- Efficient Healthcare Delivery: Facilitating cashless transactions and electronic health records minimizes administrative hassles and delays, allowing healthcare providers to focus on patient care.
- Data-driven Decision Making: ABHA generates valuable data insights that can be used for evidence-based decision-making and policy formulation.
Benefits for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Employees
- ABHA shall integrate CGHS beneficiaries into the country’s digital health ecosystem.
- A CGHS beneficiary shall be able to view the generated and linked health records in any of his/her preferred Personal Health Record (PHR) apps downloaded on the mobile device.
- A CGHS beneficiary shall be able to digitally secure his/her health records and transfer them from one hospital or healthcare provider to another.
- In the future, a CGHS beneficiary will be directly able to make an OPD appointment with a doctor just by scanning a QR code on his/her mobile device in front of the doctor’s room/registration desk in the wellness centre.